1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a system for adjusting the height of a basketball goal. More particularly, the present invention is related to a counterbalanced basketball adjustment system having an adjustment handle which permits the quick release and easy repositioning of the basketball goal using minimal effort.
2. Technical Background
Basketball is an increasingly popular sport in the United States and abroad. There are many cities, counties, and other associations that sponsor recreational and instruction leagues where people of all ages can participate in the sport of basketball. Today there are organized leagues for children as young as five and six years old. Accordingly, it is not surprising that more and more people have a basketball goal mounted on their property.
Some basketball goals are adjustable which allows people of all ages and sizes to enjoy the sport because the basketball goal can be positioned at a height lower than the standard height of ten feet. The adjustability of basketball goals has been especially beneficial to children. Many younger children simply do not have the strength to make a basket at the standard height of ten feet. Other children have had to heave the basketball at the higher goal in order to make a basket and in so doing develop improper shooting skills. Additionally, nonadjustable goals sometimes frustrate children and cause them to lose their confidence because the basketball goals are simply too high for children to consistently make a basket. This frustration sometimes causes children to ultimately give up the game.
Many attempts have been made to design a basketball goal which is adjustable to several different heights. Some of these designs employ pivotally mounted parallel bars which connect the basketball backboard to a rigid mounting device such as a pole. The parallel bars combine with the basketball backboard and the rigid mounting device to form a parallelogram. Since the bars are pivotally mounted, they allow the backboard of the basketball goal to move to several different heights while remaining vertically disposed.
In some basketball adjustment systems, once the basketball goal is at the desired height, it is secured in place by tightening one or more bolts which xe2x80x9clockxe2x80x9d the parallelogram in place. One of the disadvantages of these devices is that whenever one desires to adjust the basketball goal, it requires the use of a ladder or similar device to enable one to reach the one or more bolts which must be loosened to xe2x80x9cunlockxe2x80x9d the basketball goal. This is complicated by the fact that when the bolt or bolts are loosened, the person adjusting the goal must support the entire weight of the goal until the goal has been set to the desired height and the bolt or bolts are tightened again. Still other systems are difficult to xe2x80x9cunlockxe2x80x9d and readjust without the use of both hands and often times coordinated efforts of more than one person.
Other adjustable basketball goals have adjustment systems that are only accessible with the use of a ladder or require the person adjusting the goal to use a long rod or pole to manipulate the adjustment system. Many of these systems also require the person adjusting the goal to support the entire weight of the goal while the height of the goal is being adjusted.
Other adjustable basketball goals are configured such that the weight of the basketball goal bears directly on the adjustment system. For example, one such device uses a crank system that can be turned to shorten or lengthen a post attached to a parallelogrammic structure to deform the parallelogrammic structure and change the height of a basketball goal attached to the structure. The weight of the goal bears directly on the post that is threaded through the crank system.
There are several disadvantages to this type of design. One disadvantage is that with the weight of the goal bearing on the crank system, the crank is relatively hard to turn. Another disadvantage is that it takes several turns of the crank to make an adjustment to the height of the goal of a few feet. Thus, for example, an adjustment from eight feet to ten feet may take a significant amount of time and effort.
These disadvantages are particularly troublesome for children who typically possess less strength and patience than adults. This is unfortunate because it is usually small children who have the greatest need for lowering the basketball goal.
A further disadvantage of some adjustable basketball systems is that once the height of the goal is changed from the standard height often feet, it is difficult to reposition the goal to that precise height without a measuring device.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that it would be an advancement in the art to provide a basketball adjustment system that can be adjusted without the use of a ladder or a pole. It would be a further advantage to provide such a basketball adjustment system that could be adjusted quickly and with minimal effort so that even a child could adjust it with minimal effort. It would be an additional advantage to provide a way to easily position the goal at a predetermined height above the playing surface.
Such a basketball goal is disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention is directed to a novel adjustable basketball goal system allowing for adjustment of the height of a basketball goal above a playing surface. The basketball goal system of the present invention includes a rigid support which extends in a substantially upward direction. The rigid support has a goal side and a back side opposite the goal side.
A first deformable parallelogrammic structure is pivotally attached to the goal side of the rigid support such that the first parallelogrammic structure is suspended above the playing surface. The first parallelogrammic structure includes an upper support and a lower support. In one embodiment, one of the supports has a tail section which extends beyond the back side of the rigid support.
A second deformable parallelogrammic structure is pivotally attached to the back side of the rigid support and is pivotally connected to the first deformable parallelogrammic structure such that deformation of the second deformable parallelogrammic structure selectively deforms the first deformable parallelogrammic structure. In one embodiment, the second deformable parallelogrammic structure is pivotally connected to the first deformable parallelogrammic structure by means of the tail section of one or more of the upper and/or lower supports.
A basketball goal may be attached to the first parallelogrammic structure. In one embodiment, the basketball goal consists of a rim and backboard. The first parallelogrammic structure is configured such that as the first parallelogrammic structure deforms, the height of the basketball goal above the playing surface changes, each height corresponding to a different deformation. Since the supports are pivotally mounted, they allow the backboard of the basketball goal to move to several different heights while remaining vertically disposed.
The second deformable parallelogrammic structure includes an adjustment lever pivotally mounted to the back side of the rigid support below the first parallelogrammic structure and an extension arm having a length positioned between the first parallelogrammic structure and the adjustment lever. Preferably, one end of the extension arm is pivotally attached to the tail section of the upper and lower supports and the other end of the extension arm is pivotally attached to the adjustment lever. This allows movement of the adjustment lever to deform both the second parallelogrammic structure and the first parallelogrammic structure and thereby adjust the height of the basketball goal above a playing surface. Thus, the height of the basketball goal can be adjusted without the use of a ladder or other adjustment implement.
In one embodiment, the adjustable basketball system of the present invention preferably includes a lockable piston assembly. The lockable piston assembly is attached to the rigid support and to the adjustment lever. The piston assembly includes a switch which is moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The switch is biased toward the locked position. In the locked position, the piston of the piston assembly is prevented from movement within the piston housing. In the unlocked position, the piston can move freely within the piston housing.
The piston assembly also acts as a counterbalance to offset the weight of the basketball goal during adjustment. The piston assembly is attached to the rigid support such that when the switch is in the unlocked position the piston assembly provides a force on the adjustment lever in the opposite direction of the force acting on the adjustment lever due to the weight of the basketball goal. The piston force is preferably substantially equal to the force exerted upon the adjustment lever by the weight of the basketball goal such that the forces substantially cancel each other. In this condition, the height of the basketball goal can be adjusted quickly and with minimal effort, even by a child.
An actuation trigger is preferably pivotally attached to the adjustment lever such that when one end of the actuation trigger is depressed, the other end engages the piston switch forcing the switch into the unlocked position. The actuation trigger is attached to the adjustment lever such that the trigger can be activated with the same hand that adjusts the adjustment lever. This configuration further adds to the ease with which the height of the basketball goal can be adjusted.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the basketball adjustment system includes an adjustment stop attached to the rigid support. The adjustment stop is positioned to engage the first parallelogrammic structure when the basketball goal reaches a predetermined height and prevent the basketball goal from being positioned lower than the predetermined position. In a preferred embodiment, adjustment stops are positioned to limit the range of heights at which the basketball goal can be positioned at both an upper and lower end. Thus, the present invention provides a measure of safety in that the basketball goal cannot collapse below a certain point. Additionally, a person can place an upper adjustment stop such that the first parallelogrammic structure will engage the stop when the basketball goal is at the standard height of ten feet. Thus, the present invention offers the advantage of being easily repositioned at the standard height after shooting baskets at a lower height.
In another preferred embodiment, a locking rod is pivotally attached at one end to the rigid support. The other end of the locking rod is positioned within, and slidably engages, a U-shaped housing. As the U-shaped housing slides along the length of the locking rod, the extension arm moves to selectively to correspondingly deform the second parallelogrammic structure and the first parallelogrammic structure. Thus, the basketball goal can be adjusted by sliding the housing along the locking rod. Movement of the housing is facilitated by means of an adjustment handle pivotally attached to the housing.
In one embodiment, the extension arm, and thus the basketball goal, is held in place through the use of locking plates positioned within the U-shaped housing. The locking plates are each configured with an opening through which the locking rod is positioned. These openings are larger than the diameter of the locking rod. Thus, the locking plates can be positioned in a non-perpendicular angle relative to the locking rod. In this configuration, the locking plates bind with the locking rod and prevent the housing from moving relative to the locking rod.
The plates are positioned between the opposing sides of the U-shaped housing and are thus prevented from moving laterally or pivoting about the locking rod. The housing is also configured with a pair of stops. Each stop is positioned to engage a first end of one of the locking plates. In one preferred embodiment, a biasing spring is positioned about the locking rod between the locking plates. As the biasing member engages each locking plate, the locking plates pivot about the respective stops into a non-perpendicular position relative to the locking rod. When the system is at rest, the biasing member biases the locking plates into a non-perpendicular angle relative to the locking rod substantially preventing the housing from moving relative to the locking rod.
The adjustment handle is configured with a pair of tabs, each of which engage a second end of a respective locking plate. The adjustment handle is configured to move between a rest position, wherein each locking plate is in a non-perpendicular position relative to the locking rod, and an engaged position, wherein each tab engages a respective locking plate, forcing it into a substantially perpendicular position relative to the locking rod. This allows the locking plate, and consequently the housing to move relative to the locking rod. Thus, it is an advantage of the present invention to be able to xe2x80x9cunlockxe2x80x9d the system and simultaneously adjust the height of the basketball goal with the use of the same hand.
The system is preferably counterbalanced with a counterbalancing spring attached within the first parallelogrammic structure. The counterbalance spring provides a force which substantially counterbalances the gravitational force acting on the adjustable basketball goal system due to the weight of the basketball goal. Thus, it is an advantage of the present invention that repositioning of the basketball goal only requires minimal force.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become more filly apparent by examination of the following description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.